A Gathered Inheritance: Devotions for Thoughtful Christians

By James P. Stobaugh

Here is a guide to devotions for each week of the year. The priests of
old tended the fire in the tent of meeting, where the people offered their gifts
and rededicated themselves to God. Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross,
we no longer worship with burnt offerings. Yet we must tend and preserve the
spiritual fires.
Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, and many others have fanned the
flames. Jesus Christ is still the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Yet we must stir
the fire to understand this Truth better as we build on the illumination of
previous generations.
As the world changes, we apply God's Word to new challenges so that all
might know Christ as Savior and Lord. Since the Holy Spirit encourages and
inspires us, we will not run out of fuel for our task.
Our faithful forebears moved beyond fear and rejection of their world
and embraced the love of God. Out of that love flowed their genius. Church
fathers and mothers such as Origen, Bonhoeffer, McDonald, and Mother
Teresa have promoted love for God, God's people, and all of God's
creation—at some risk, yet always in hope, building on God's promises.
God's saints are flashes of lightning in the sky. The darkness is never the
same again because their light reveals what life can be in Jesus Christ. On
these pages Ignatius, Nee, Tolstoy, Guyon flash across the sky. This gathered
inheritance brings memory, possibility, renewal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 22, 2005
• ISBN: 9781624880025

James P. Stobaugh

Dr. James Stobaugh was a Merrill Fellow at Harvard and holds degrees from Vanderbilt and Rutgers universities, and Princeton and Gordon-Conwell seminaries. An experienced teacher, he is a recognized leader in homeschooling and has published numerous books for students and teachers. He and his wife Karen have homeschooled their four children since 1985.

Book preview

Week 1

Ignatius of Antioch (AD 35?–107?) Choosing Risky Obedience

p27

During the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan, Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, was condemned to be eaten by wild beasts in the Roman Colosseum. On his way from Antioch to Rome, where the execution was to take place, he wrote seven letters—one each to the church at Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Philadelphia, Smyrna, and Rome, and one to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. To Ignatius and his contemporaries, the church was a series of house churches in mostly urban Asia Minor (= Turkey). Ignatius was a man whose passion for God superseded all other realities.

Ignatius was the first Christian teacher to use catholic church as a term for the unity of the body of Christ.

No earthly pleasures, he wrote, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.

Passages

Letter to the Magnesians 5.1–2

Seeing then that all things have an end, and these two—life and death—are set before us together, and each one shall go to his own place; for just as there are two coinages, the one of God and the other of the world, and each of them has its proper stamp impressed upon it, so the unbelievers bear the stamp of this world, but the faithful in love bear the stamp of God the Father through Jesus Christ, whose life is not in us unless we freely choose to die unto his suffering.

Letter to the Romans 4.1–2

I write to all the churches and charge them all to know that I die willingly for God, if you hinder me not. I entreat you, do not unseasonably befriend me. Suffer me to belong to the wild beasts, through whom I may attain unto God. I am God’s grain, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread. Rather, entice the wild beasts to become my tomb, and to leave naught of my body, that I may not, when I have fallen asleep, prove a burden to anyone.

Prayer for Martyrdom (from Letter to the Romans 4.1; 6.1; 7.2)

I am the wheat of God and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God…. I long after the Lord, the Son of the true God and Father, Jesus Christ. Him I seek, who died for us and rose again…. I am eager to die for the sake of Christ. My love has been crucified, and there is no fire in me that loves anything. But there is living water springing up in me, and it says to me inwardly: Come to the Father.

Discussion Questions

A. The Roman Catholic Church recently issued a serious position paper arguing that its political leaders should obey the teachings of the church in all their political decisions (especially as it relates to abortion). Other Christians argue that believers should separate their political decisions from their faith, that conscience should be separate from an extraneous source (such as the church or the Bible). What do you think, and why?

B. Ignatius knows that he is soon to die a martyr. So he writes a series of letters to some churches. Pretend that you are going to Rome to die as a martyr. Write a letter to the church at large and in it express your concerns.

Biblical Response

Ignatius echoes the words of Joshua as he encouraged his community to be faithful to God—whatever the cost, whatever the inconvenience, whatever the risk.

Joshua 24:14–15

Joshua said, Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Journaling Question

Obedience is not always easy, especially when obedience might bring death (as it did for Ignatius). Describe an incident in which obedience to the Word of God was not easy.

Praying Scripture

Father God, Creator of all things, it is my desire that I will live in the land you have given me, that I will live in the time you have given me, expressly to glorify you with my life. Lord, help me to be effective in this endeavor! On this day I choose you, Lord! and you alone! Amen.

Further Reflection

Day 2 Deuteronomy 30:19

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you

that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

Day 3 Daniel 3:16–18

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Day 4 Matthew 11:27 (= Luke 10:22)

Jesus said,

All things have been committed to me by my Father.

No one knows the Son except the Father,

and no one knows the Father except the Son

and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Day 5 Luke 11:28

Jesus replied,

Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

Day 6 Romans 6:15–17

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

Day 7 Hebrews 5:8–9

Although [Jesus] was a son,

he learned obedience from what he suffered

and, once made perfect,

he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey

him.

Week 2

Barnabas (AD 35?) Forgiveness and Encouragement

p31

Barnabas, one of the members of the early Christian church in Jerusalem, had a name meaning Son of Encouragement (Acts 4:36). A Levite and a native of Cyprus, Barnabas is credited with founding the Cypriot church. After Saul/Paul’s conversion, Barnabas introduced him to the other apostles in Jerusalem; he later accompanied Paul on missionary journeys to Cyprus, Antioch, and Asia Minor (= Turkey). At the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), Barnabas supported Paul’s argument that the church needed to share the gospel with the Gentiles. He and Paul later separated, however, when Barnabas insisted that his nephew Mark, who had deserted them on an earlier journey, should be forgiven and should join them on further journeys. Paul disagreed, and then Barnabas and Mark continued missionary work in Cyprus (Acts 15:39). No one knows if Barnabas wrote anything. Often a disciple or friend would differentially ascribe authorship to a respected figure. This may be the case here, or Barnabas actually wrote this piece. No one really knows.

Barnabas was a positive influence on everyone he met.

Passage

Epistle of Barnabas 12.7; 14.9; 19.2

When therefore they were assembled together they entreated Moses that he should offer up intercession for them that they might be healed. And Moses said unto them: Whenever … one of you shall be bitten, let him come to the serpent which is placed on the tree, and let him believe and hope that the serpent being himself dead can make alive; and forthwith he shall be saved. And so they did. Here again you have in these things also the glory of Jesus, how that in him and unto him are all things….

Again the prophet said: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, wherefore he anointed me to preach good tidings to the humble; he hath sent me to heal them that are brokenhearted, to preach release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of recompense, to comfort all that mourn. …

You shall love him who made you; you shall fear him who created you; you shall glorify him who redeemed you from death; you shall be simple in heart and rich in spirit; you shall not cleave to those who walk the way of death; you shall hate everything that is not pleasing to God; you shall hate all hypocrisy; you shall never forsake the commandments of the Lord.

(http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/barnabas-light-foot.html [adapted])

Discussion Question

Barnabas was known as an encourager. Give examples of ways we may encourage one another. Practice two or three of these examples this coming day.

Biblical Response

From Luke 4:17–19, Barnabas quoted Jesus Christ, who was quoting Isaiah 61:1–2. How remarkable that our Lord chose these words to characterize his calling!

Luke 4:17–19

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.

Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Journaling Question

What is God’s calling for your life? Find two or three Scriptures to support your answer.

Praying Scripture

Father God, without a doubt, you are the great encourager. Through your Son you preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind. Lord, help me to encourage others in this same way! To you alone belongs the glory! Amen.

Further Reflection

Day 2 Hebrews 4:14

Therefore, since we have a great high priest

who has gone through the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Day 3 Psalm 37:7

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Day 4 Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Day 5 Hosea 12:6

But you must return to your God;

maintain love and justice,

and wait for your God